Competing With Cats

You're an artist. I'm an artist. We're all artists. Actually, no, we're not. Very few of us are. And even those that are acclaimed by the great and the good and receive vast amounts of dosh for their 'art', are often at best, dubious artists. Art is in the eye of the beholder, I hear you whine? Maybe...

 

But the plain fact is, for the likes of you and me, having our photographic works appreciated on SM platforms (that's SM as in social media - not as in sadomasochistic. Although thinking about it now, both terms in a way correctly describe each other). On FB, IG, and others, you have to compete with the really good pictures. Those of cats. Or these days, more likely AI images. But cats will always rule. 

 

I like cats. I do. Most people do. Except for dog people. (By that I mean people who 'like dogs', not the dog people race who I think are wonderful and won't have a bad word said against them despite the fact they are clearly barking) [explanation for our American reader: barking as in barking-mad]

I don't like AI pretending to be photography. That's plain wrong and a subject for another rant.

 

Where was I?

Yes, I like cats. And really, you can't compete with cat pictures. A cute cat picture will garner kazzilions of 'likes' and 'faves' on whatever social media site you care to put them. By contrast, your own work might get one like. Or maybe five, if you're really lucky. 

 

And this despite the fact you trudged for two days through freezing weather to reach that one rare inaccessible spot where the light at a certain time (and not any other time) brings out that landscape into melting dew-dripping loveliness. And now, in order to capture said view, your back is now killing you from carrying a tripod and a bag of photo-gear so heavy that it would make a commando faint.

 

Then, once you've trudged back home arriving two stones lighter [again, for our American reader: a stone is a heavy rocky thing we use to estimate weight] complete with twisted ankle, water-damaged expensive camera and foot-rot. But never mind, it's all worthwhile because you have the most exquisite photograph nestling silently unseen on your memory card. This raw image is then painstakingly tweaked over many hours at the computer to show off the finest detail and softness of hue your camera can produce. Frankly, in the end, it's nothing short of a masterpiece.

 

Yet it gets only five views, two likes and someone comments: “Pretty Colours!” while the fluffy cute cat shot gets drooled over and liked in the mega thousands. Obviously this is just an example. No, really, it is. This has never happened to me. And things like this don't bother me. At all. Nope. 

The moral of this story? Resistance is futile. The cats will always win. But remember, whatever style of photography you create, it is meant primarily to serve that within yourself that needs such expression. And in that context, then just one simple like by a person that genuinely enjoys your vision, is worth a hundred cat likes. It's the cat's whiskers. Purrrrfect even.